Category: First Aid/Medical

Letter Re: Prepping and a Terminal Cancer Diagnosis

JWR, We’ve been preppers since the late 1970s when we were living in a New Jersey seaside apartment and our long term food was stored under furniture in a 400 square foot apartment.  After that a job relocation to a more rural area enabled us to buy a 35 acre fixer-upper farm where we lived for 16 years and learned how to garden, raise livestock, heat with wood, and become generally self-sufficient.  Then we bought our second rundown farm in upstate New York (we were suckers for fixing up dilapidated farmhouses) and started up a commercial sheep operation on 360 …


Letter Re: Microwave Oven Method for Decontaminating N95 Face Masks

Dear JWR: I had an interesting conversation with a member of the CDC about decontaminating N95 face masks. The study results can be found here. You’ll notice that the test gives positive results but more research is needed. Here was the conversation I had with Edward Fisher after reading it. Here are some snippets from our exchange: Me: 1. Did you remove the metal nosepieces from the masks before sterilization? 2. Any updates to this study? Edward: We did not modify any of the tested filtering facepiece respirators before decontamination. If the masks had metal nosepieces, they were not removed. …


Stuff Hitting the Fan: A Position Paper – Part 4, by R.L.

(This is the conclusion to the article series that began on Friday.) Appendix A The following is essentially a “wish” list; however the items that are in bold are relatively important.  The tools and medical areas would be for a complement for 1-10 people.  The sundries area covers a family of six.  The food area is for one person for one year, multiply (or divide) as you see fit.  There is extra food included for charitable impulses.  Coordinate purchases among the group if you plan to congregate.  I live in Georgia, so the clothing and supplies are tailored for that …


Stuff Hitting the Fan: A Position Paper – Part 2, by R.L.

(Continued from Part 1) Level I Scenario In these paragraphs, we will look at the areas of primary and secondary importance as they can be managed in a Level I scenario. Water A person needs around two gallons per day for cooking and rudimentary cleaning.  For short term emergencies it may be possible to store up two weeks or more water, that much should be stored up anyway.  When you store water, treat it with iodine or Clorox or boil (iodine is better, boiling is best) and rotate water stores every six months, see level II instructions for disinfecting ratios.  …


Help for the New Prepper, by Don H.

 Many of us that have been prepping since before the Internet have welcomed all the new information, knowledge, and interaction with our fellow preppers. But for someone who is just starting out, it can all be overwhelming. So overwhelming that they don’t know where to start. The sad part is that many of them don’t start. They feel that they have to  spend so much money at one time to get all the gear that the experts say they need, that they just can’t do it. This is in large part due to shows like Doomsday Preppers. While I watch …


The Constipated Hordes at TEOTWAWKI: A Pharmacologic Strategy, by Anon, M.D.

In a situation that will be characterized by, among other things, gutted pharmacies and unmanned hospitals, the remaining population at TEOTWAWKI will be required to provide their own medical care and to meet their own pharmacologic needs.  While there have been numerous helpful articles outlining the importance of antibiotics in the context of TEOTWAWKI there has been very little addressing the importance of an overall pharmacologic strategy. Some of you—especially those who take daily prescription medication—have likely considered this problem before.  But perhaps you are young and healthy, unburdened by any medical diagnosis.  There should still be a pharmacologic component …


Letter Re: Coping with Obstructive Sleep Apnea When There is No Grid Power

Mr. Rawles – I have been living with a CPAP for many years now, and am one of the persons for whom it has worked very well. I also know how bad things can be after not having my CPAP for three days when an airline lost it. After three days I was almost totally non-functional and was ready to lay out the $2,000 out of my own pocket to get a replacement machine. Fortunately my machine was found by the airline. More recently I had 3 nights in 2 months where power outages deprived me of the use of …


Coping with Obstructive Sleep Apnea When There is No Grid Power, by Chris X.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a breathing disorder which is caused by the narrowing or total occlusion of the airway while sleeping.  The study of sleep using electroencephalogram electrodes, chest and abdominal effort belts, breathing sensors, and blood oxygenation sensors is called polysomnography.  The advent of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines in the 1980s started the home treatment revolution of OSA.  Studies have shown that untreated OSA can cause high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, depression, excessive daytime somnolence, fatigue, occupational accidents, and motor vehicle accidents.  More recent studies have shown that OSA is linked to adult-onset diabetes, fibromyalgia …


Dealing with the Dying, by A Healthcare Couple

This essay is a joint effort from a healthcare couple.  My wife is a hospice nurse and I work at a long-term care facility.  Together, we have witnessed numerous patients die.  The purpose of this essay is to educate you in helping to take care of a dying group member (will use the term patient for this writing).  The first time that I experienced death up-close and personal was when my best friend B. died a few years ago.  We were both in our 20s and he had cancer.  Over the course of more than a year I was with …


Letter Re: How to Survive a Serious Burn

Hello, Dr. Koelker presented some great information on surviving a serious burn. One significant issue that wasn’t fully discussed that is potentially more serious in the short term than fluid replacement. If you were to happen upon someone who suffered a serious burn and you determined it was safe for you to proceed and get your hands on the patient, you must verify that the patient has a good airway, i.e.: Can they or are they breathing? If they are making painful noises or yelling you know they do because otherwise they wouldn’t be able to use their voice. However, with …


Letter Re: Faraday Caging a Bed?

Mr. Rawles, My child is sick. I need to build a Faraday cage to surround my child’s bed. We are in a second floor apartment. Can I use wood and chicken wire? To create a ground [for the cage], can I: Take an extension cord, tear out the double prong but leave the ground post, cut off the opposite end attach the wires to the wire cage. Would that work? Thank You, – M.R. JWR Replies: I will pray for you and your child. Faraday cages have no positive health effects for humans unless for some very unlikely reason that …


Letter Re: How to Survive a Serious Burn

Dear Editor: I read with interest Dr. Koelker’s description of burn treatment and had two follow-up questions: why is the issue of fluid replacement at the top of the treatment list, and of such critical importance to a burn victim? What causes the fluid loss that can be fatal?A second question: is it necessary to sterilize any water used before preparing the oral rehydration solution she mentions in the article? Thanks for all you do through SurvivalBlog. Peace to you and yours. – G.R. in Texas Doc Cindy Replies: Fluid replacement is at the top of the list for several …


Letter Re: How to Survive a Serious Burn

Mr. Rawles, I always read your site with interest, especially the medical advice that is written by Dr. Koelker and others, as this is my area of expertise. Dr. Koelker’s article regarding burn care made very brief mention of a technique called hypodermoclysis as an alternative method for intravenous infusion of fluids in the event of a severe burn. Essentially, hypodermoclysis involves using a regular IV catheter to infuse fluids into the patient’s subcutaneous tissue. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be a replacement for IV fluids in the case she uses as an example. It appears that the maximum amount of fluids …


How to Survive a Serious Burn, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD

How large must a burn be to kill you?  How is a burn fatal anyway?  Is there anything you can do to improve your odds? Lacking an emergency response system, you’ll be on your own if you cook yourself on a heating pad, or catch your clothes on fire, or spill hot coffee down your pants while driving.  What would now be referred to a burn unit for specialized care may require home treatment when it’s the only option. Without skin, you die.  The danger of burns is related to the function of the skin.  Normally the skin “keeps the …


Letter Re: NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards

JWR: I would also recommend the Emergency Response Guidebook published jointly by the USDOT and Canadian and Mexican Transportation agencies. This reference (ERG) lets you identify the material being transported by pipeline, tanker truck, or railcar. As a guide for First Responders to a HazMat accident, it also lists specific hazards and evacuation distances in the event of spill or fire. I use this book to evaluate how at risk I am to accidents involving bulk materials being transported nearby. You need to pay attention to the placard (label) information on the side of the tanker. In my community I …